Indiana Pacers' Pascal Siakam to Drive Pace Car at Brickyard 400

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam will be the honorary Pace Car driver for the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG on Sunday, July 27.

The three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection will drive the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS to lead the NASCAR Cup Series field around the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway to start this year’s running of the Brickyard 400.

Siakam, who is a Red Bull athlete, didn’t start playing organized basketball until age 17. By the age of 26, he was an NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors.

In 2019, he was part of the Toronto Raptors as the team captured its first NBA championship. Siakam was also named the NBA’s Most Improved Player that season.

He earned his first NBA All-Star selection in 2020, and was also named to the All-NBA Second Team that year. He earned an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2022, and his second NBA All-Star appearance in 2023.

In 2024, Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers, where he has emerged as a veteran presence. His third NBA All-Star selection came in 2025, as part of the team’s first 50-win season in more than 10 years.

His playoff experience played a crucial role in the Pacers’ 2025 postseason run, earning him Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors en route to the team’s first NBA Finals appearance since the 1999-00 season.

Basketball and racing are both intrinsic in the DNA of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. The home of the Indiana Pacers is also home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. 

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is excited to bring the two together as part of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 with Siakam serving as honorary Pace Car driver. 

The Brickyard 400 presented by PPG will also be the final race of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, where Ty Dillon and Ty Gibbs will race against each other in the 39-car field for a $1 million prize.

“Basketball and motorsports – Pacers and racers – go hand in hand in Indianapolis,” INDYCAR and IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Following the Pacers’ electrifying postseason run, it’s only fitting to have Pascal join us to pace the field as NASCAR’s biggest stars compete to win the In-Season Challenge and add their name to the history books with a win at the Brickyard.”

On Monday, Indianapolis Motor Speedway also announced that Cookie Monster of Sesame Street fame will serve as the race's Grand Marshal.

Fans can watch Sunday’s Brickyard 400 presented by PPG on TNT Sports, starting at 2 p.m. ET.